Proverbs 21:21

Proverbs 21:21 says, Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. 

I love this verse in the NIV because pursue is such a strong word. It doesn't say 'have righteousness and love,' or 'get righteousness and love,' but 'pursue righteousness and love.' The word pursue implies diligence, persistence, commitment, enthusiasm, etc.

To be able to pursue righteousness, we have to know what it means. Righteousness is speaking and acting rightly from pure motives. God is the only truly righteous being. Righteousness is speaking and acting in a Godly way; in a way that lines up with what the Bible teaches. 

Pursuing love is self-explanatory. It's not pursuing romantic love, but loving other people, especially those who are hard to love.

The rewards for doing this are:
Life - life that is full of purpose and meaning, peace and joy.
Prosperity - this is sometimes translated righteousness. If you pursue righteousness, you will get righteousness. You will get a right reward. The ultimate reward of righteousness is eternal life with God. Prosperity means plenty, or an abundance. Honour - you will enjoy a good reputation and respect.

People pursue a lot of different things: money, fame, possessions, praise, success, etc. What are you pursuing?